A man who allegedly turned his grandmother’s home into a meth lab while she was away has been arrested.

James Paul Tucker has been charged with manufacture of methamphetamine and possession of listed chemicals with the intent to unlawfully manufacture a controlled substance.

Sgt. Jared Nichols and Dep. Eddie Dalton responded to a Bates Road home in Altha after family members discovered suspicious items. According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, relatives were preparing the house for the grandmother’s return when a broken window, an electric hotplate, a measuring cup with a clear liquid, and several empty bottles were found. They called authorities and, when investigators arrived, the cup on the hotplate was warm to the touch, indicating someone had just used it. Authorities cleared the house and found Tucker hiding in the shower with several lithium batteries and a bag of ammonium nitrate. Other items used in the making of meth were also located, leading to Tucker’s arrest.